17 Comments
Why does this have "um"? Is it because it's qualified by an adjective or something?
Possibly. In all cases, I believe that the indefinite article is optional; you can use it, even when not modified by an adjective.
Thanks. I tried asking my Brazilian wife about this and she couldn't even explain it to me.
Thanks! I guess it's challenging to explain the rule (if there is one) for your native language. "It just is". Do you have an explanation for if I want to say "It is an industrial chemical": Why adding produto makes it okay? ... Does "Isso é química industrial" as you said above mean "This is industrial chemistry" or can it mean either?
I agree...it's sometimes hard for us, native speakers, to think of a rule =) Yes, you can say "Isso é químico industrial", but most of the time, "química" is used to refer to a subject at school: Chemistry.
According to a dictionary, química = Ciência que estuda a constituição e as propriedades dos materiais e as leis que regem suas combinações e transformações. ( = Chemistry [subject]).
By extension, it adds: "Elemento de composição.", that is, "um produto químico". =)
I think you are thinking of the word "industrious" which would be «industrioso». Some synonyms include «diligente» and «trabalhador», used an adjective.
No. The word industrial is related to factory/industry in Portuguese.
According to a dictionary:
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Que pertence ou se refere à indústria.
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Que procede da indústria.
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Em que as indústrias estão estabelecidas.
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Pessoa que tem ou administra uma indústria; industrialista.
But "químico industrial" is only used as a profession, so HE is the suitable answer. "Química industrial" accepts "it" (Isso é química industrial)
